GOVERNMENTS around the world are becoming more aggressive because of the new COVID-19 variants, delays in vaccines, challenges with vaccinating populations, and the corresponding strains on health care systems. Canadian officials have been urging Canadians to cancel all non-essential travel and are trying to eliminate the activity. It has been reported that employees at airports in Canada have scolded travellers in telling them they should not be travelling during a pandemic.

Land travel

The land border already remains closed to non-essential travellers who are not Canadian. Non-essential travellers arriving in Canada by land will need to show a negative PCR-based COVID-19 test result. Customs officers cannot send Canadians back to the US if they don't have a test because they are technically on Canadian soil; however, they will be fined up to CAD$3,000.

Canada already requires those entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days.

Canadians entering through land borders, meanwhile, need to take a test upon arrival, in addition to providing a negative test result from the 72-hour period before getting to Canada — but they can quarantine at home or at accommodation of their choosing.

There is a difference in rules between air and land travel which has created a loophole, as Canadians can fly to a US destination close to the Canadian border and drive into Canada, thus skipping the compulsory hotel stay for international air travellers.

Air travel

With regards to air travel to Canada, there is the requirement that people arriving by air must show a negative PCR-based COVID-19 test result within three days of arriving. In addition, there is COVID-19 testing upon arrival. As they wait for their test results, travellers will be required to isolate in a government-approved hotel for up to three days at their own expense. If the tests come back negative they will be allowed to complete their 14-day quarantine at home. If their test comes back positive, they will be required to complete the isolation period at a government-designated facility.

Hotel experience

Air travellers need to call either a toll-free or collect-call number to book their three-day accommodations. There's no online booking system in place. Many experience busy signals or fully booked hotels.

Although the Federal Government has estimated the three-day quarantine will run CAD$2,000 per person, including the room, meals, security, transportation and infection-prevention measures, the good news is that costs for the hotel seemed to be much lower at CAD$350 per night for a single person.

New wave

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned Canadians that public health measures, including restrictions on indoor social gatherings, would have to continue for weeks to come as new COVID-19 variants, and a slow vaccine roll-out, risk causing a third wave of the virus.

Canadian public health officials released new modeling Friday, indicating that even current public health measures will not be enough to contain a third wave if fueled by faster-spreading variants of COVID-19. New variants have been detected in all provinces.

The province of Ontario announced Friday that the city of Toronto and one of its neighbouring regions will remain in lockdown, with a stay-at-home order, until at least March 8 as the threat of new variants spreading continues to concern health officials.

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– Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration & education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com